It hasn't been the easiest of days for the orchestra, most of whom got stranded on the motorway in coaches on their way to the Royal Albert Hall.

"These things happen," says their conductor, recalling that when he was a student he was talking to one of his teachers about how stressful the preparation for performances can be. His teacher replied: "It's always the same. It will never get better – so get used to it."

"I especially find it is absolutely astonishing how British orchestras react to stress generally," Karabits tells Jane Jones. "They will never betray you in the performance. They always give maximum."